Why Boocane ?

Boocane: The Choice of Health and Climate-Conscious Citizens

Why Boocane ?

Bamboo and cane have been identified as strategic resources for countries to reduce adverse affect of climate change as both are highly renewable.

Both bamboo and cane provide superior alternative to wood, steel and plastic for multiple use. Bamboo releases 35% more oxygen and sequesters 20% more carbon than other plants. Bamboo is stronger than steel, in terms of tensile strength, and can be harvested annually without adverse effects to the environment.

We use only water based adhesive, stains, sealers and top coats as furniture can emit unhealthy fumes

There is families of chemicals called volatile organic compounds (or VOCs) and semi-volatile organic compounds (or SVOCs). Both VOCs and SVOCs are often found in furniture frames,cushions and finishes.

Frames & Tops. Parts of furniture like frames of sofas and chairs, tops of tables, dressers, consoles can be made from composite wood (often also called “engineered wood” or “pressed wood”), metal, glass, solid soft wood (such as pine), and solid hardwood (such as maple or oak).Both composite wood and solid softwoods can emit VOCs and SVOCs. Composite woods are made from wood particles and adhesives, or resins that bind the wood particles together. The adhesives and resins are made from chemicals that release VOCs and SVOCs.

Cushion & Padding. Cushions and furniture padding is often made from polyurethane foam which is made from more than 7 types of chemicals that fall into the VOC, and SVOCs.

Finishes.Wood and metal paints, wood stains and sealers, veneers, laminates, and melamine are types of finishes commonly applied to furniture to give it a finished look. Paints, stains and sealers are often high in VOCs and SVOCs. Veneer, a thin piece of hardwood that is glued to the furniture surface for a certain appearance is often glued using adhesives that emit gas. Laminatemade from either a very thin piece of wood in resin or a resin that has been printed to look like wood is made from a combination of chemicals. Similarly, melamine is a resin made from chemicals including a known VOC like formaldehyde which is one of the main ingredients of the resin.

New furniture: Off-gassing

How long does new furniture off-gas for? This can vary. Let’s look at two larger classifications of chemicals that are well-known for off-gassing.

Volatile Organic Compounds or VOCs: VOCs off-gas throughout the life of the product. However, larger amounts of off-gassing occur in the first several years. The information varies when it comes to the exact number of years VOCs “significantly off-gas,” and it would vary by the materials whose chemicals have varying levels of off-gassing. Sometime VOCs can be sensed by the smell but not always.

Semi-Volatile Organic Compounds or SVOCs:SVOCs off-gas more slowly and consistently throughout the life of the product. SVOCs are just as important as VOCs but they have received less attention since they’re tougher to measure, and therefore, more difficult to understand.SVOCs and other chemicals off-gas and can attach to other porous materials, like fabric. They also attach to dust particles. When SVOCs attach to fabrics and dust, then can be removed by washing the fabric and dusting frequently.

The potential health effects from the off-gassing of our household products

When products such as furniture off-gas, chemicals are emitted into the air, we inhale, ingest these chemicals (from being absorbed by food and the dust on our hands) which can be very harmful to us. Health effects from VOCs and SVOCs can be both short-term and long-term.

VOCs

Irritation of eyes, nose and throat
Headache
Nausea and vomiting
Dizziness
Increased asthma
Cancer
Liver and kidney damage
Damage to the central nervous system

SVOCs

Allergic symptoms
Retarded reproductive development
Asthma
Effect on the endocrine system
Cancer
Diabetes
Obesity
Infertility
Autism
Attention deficit disorder hormone disruption

What you can do with furniture those off-gasses

Minimize off-gassing:Choose furniture that has as few chemicals as possible to minimize off-gassing. Limit your exposure to VOCs.

Remove plastic packaging outdoors:When the plastic is first removed from furniture and other products, VOCs and SVOCs enter your indoor air. If possible, remove packaging outdoors to keep the initial concentrated off-gassing fumes out of your home

Air out the furniture:Hard surface furniture can be left outside to air out. If its pollenor mold season, consider wiping off the furniture before bringing it in the house. Both soft and hard surface furniture can be set in a sparsely used room to off-gas. Open windows to let fresh air into the room and keep the fan on to help.

Filter the air. air:Air filtration units that have active charcoal or a carbon filter can help remove airborne gases. Consider adding a portable air filter to the room where furniture is off-gassing.